Remand Cells

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will name the person who reports to his Department on the conditions under which people are held in police station cells or magistrate court cells; and if he will make a statement.

The conditions in which prisoners are held in police stations and magistrates court cells are the responsibility of the chief officers of the police forces concerned. Chief officers are not required to report to my right hon. Friend on the operational aspects of their work, but we are very well aware of their concerns. Strenuous and successful efforts are being made to reduce reliance on police cells for housing people who ought to be in prison.

Lay visitors schemes are operating in most of the London boroughs. Lay visitors have access to police station and magistrates court cells and they may report to my right hon. Friend on the conditions for prisoners held there.

Records of which police stations and magistrates court cells are being used by the police to hold remand prisoners are not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. On 12 December, prisoners were held in cells belonging to the following police forces:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the procedures under which a person being held on remand in police station cells or magistrate court cells can make complaints on the conditions in which they are being held; and how many complaints have been made in the last three years.

Prisoners may make complaints about the conditions of their detention to the custody officer at the police station or magistrates court in which they are held. Any such complaints received will be reported to the chief officer of the police force concerned. Prisoners may also complain to lay visitors to police stations and magistrates court cells in London, who may convey such complaints to the chief officer via the officer in charge at the police station or court.